Chris Cuomo gears up to sue CNN for more than $18 million: Report



Ex-CNN anchor Chris Cuomo is reportedly preparing to file a lawsuit against CNN if the network refuses to pay him at least $18 million to cover the remainder of his contract at $6 million per year.

The report comes as Cuomo revealed that he will no longer be on SiriusXM radio hosting "Let's Get After It with Chris Cuomo."

What are the details?

The 51-year-old disgraced anchor — who was fired after his efforts to fluff the reputation of his brother, ex-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), by attempting to quash reporting on allegations against him of sexual harassment — has hired attorneys and is reportedly preparing to file the suit if he doesn't receive the pay for the remaining three years on his four-year contract.

According to a report from the New York Post, sources familiar with the matter state that his contract was reportedly worth $6 million per year, leaving between $18 and $20 million on the table after his departure.

Cuomo is also reportedly likely to seek damages if he files the suit.

A source told the outlet, however, that the network has "no intention of paying [Chris] Cuomo a penny."

"If he gets a settlement, there would be uproar," the source added

A second source told the outlet that the company "has a standard morality clause in their contract that says if the employee does anything of disrepute, they can be immediately fired."

Much like his brother, Cuomo is facing sexual misconduct allegations of his own: A former colleague who wished to remain anonymous hired an attorney and came forward earlier this week, saying that Cuomo reportedly engaged in sexual misconduct with her.

"Hearing the hypocrisy of Chris Cuomo's on-air words and disgusted by his efforts to try to discredit these women, my client retained counsel to report his serious sexual misconduct against her to CNN," attorney Debra Katz said in a statement on the allegation.

Cuomo has stated that the allegations have no merit.

On Sunday, a spokesperson for the ex-anchor told the Wall Street Journal that CNN President Jeff Zucker knew all about Cuomo's support for his brother.

"There were no secrets about this, as other individuals besides Mr. Cuomo can attest," the spokesperson said.

CNN in a statement called the allegation "patently false."

“This reinforces why he was terminated for violating our standards and practices, as well as his lack of candor,” the network added.

Both CNN and a spokesperson for Cuomo declined to comment on the report.

Anything else?

Cuomo on Monday announced that he would no longer be appearing on his SiriusXM show.

In a message shared on Twitter, Cuomo wrote, "The way my time ended at CNN was hard. While I have a thick skin, I also have a family, for whom the past week has been extraordinarily difficult. So, right now, I have to take a step back and focus on what comes next. That means I will no longer be doing my SiriusXM radio show. I am extremely grateful for the support I have received from SiriusXM throughout my time there. I also want to express my sincere appreciation for my loyal listeners. I will miss our conversations a great deal — but I look forward to being back in touch with you all in the future."

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— Christopher C. Cuomo (@Christopher C. Cuomo) 1638821261

SiriusXM in a statement announced, "Following Chris Cuomo’s statement that he is leaving his SiriusXM show, 'Let’s Get After It' will no longer air. We thank Chris for his work at SiriusXM."

Chris Cuomo Should Not Have Been on Air | @Stu Does America

Chris Cuomo Should Not Have Been on Air | @Stu Does America

The Fall of Fredo: Chris Cuomo Fired from EVERYTHING | Ep 399

The Fall of Fredo: Chris Cuomo Fired from EVERYTHING | Ep 399

Chris Cuomo throws CNN chief Jeff Zucker under bus. CNN hits back, calls Cuomo a liar: 'This reinforces why he was terminated'



Disgraced ex-CNN anchor Chris Cuomo accused CNN President Jeff Zucker of having full knowledge of the now-former host's involvement in attempting to quash the sexual harassment allegations against his brother, ex-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D).

CNN terminated Cuomo's employment on Saturday after initially suspending him following a report from the New York state attorney general's office that showed Cuomo worked tirelessly alongside his ex-governor brother's handlers in order to keep bad publicity at bay.

What are the details?

Cuomo said that Zucker was fully aware of what was happening behind the scenes, according to a Sunday evening report from the Wall Street Journal.

The report, titled "CNN President Jeff Zucker Protected Chris Cuomo. Then Came a U-Turn," alleged that Zucker stood by Cuomo as early as May following the accusations against the cable news anchor.

"In a virtual town hall with staffers in May, he conceded that Chris Cuomo had 'made a mistake,' but also said he wasn't surprised that the anchor discussed the matter with his brother," the report read. "Mr. Zucker said suspending Chris Cuomo would be 'punishment for the sake of punishing.'"

The narrative quickly changed last week, however, after new information from the attorney general's office surfaced — and an unrelated allegation of sexual misconduct against the embattled TV host.

"Mr. Zucker was taken by surprise by the attorney general's report, and felt Mr. Cuomo misled him, according to people familiar with the situation," the report continued. "On Saturday he completed a U-turn, firing Mr. Cuomo on a call, one of the people said."

A spokesperson for Cuomo on Sunday told the outlet, "Mr. Cuomo has the highest level of admiration and respect for Mr. Zucker. They were widely known to be extremely close and in regular contact, including about the details of Mr. Cuomo's support for his brother. There were no secrets about this, as other individuals besides Mr. Cuomo can attest."

In a fiery statement, CNN said that Cuomo grossly mischaracterized the events as they reportedly took place.

“He has made a number of accusations that are patently false,” the network said in its statement. “This reinforces why he was terminated for violating our standards and practices, as well as his lack of candor.”

What else?

Attorney Debra Katz came forward this weekend and notified CNN that Cuomo reportedly engaged in sexual misconduct with a former colleague who wished to remain anonymous.

When asked why her client came forward now of all times, Katz said that she was motivated by Cuomo's on-air statements purporting to support victims of sexual harassment and misconduct.

"Hearing the hypocrisy of Chris Cuomo's on-air words and disgusted by his efforts to try to discredit these women, my client retained counsel to report his serious sexual misconduct against her to CNN," Katz said in a statement on the allegation.

Cuomo has denied all allegations of sexual wrongdoing.

Steven Goldberg, a spokesman for Cuomo, said the allegations are not true.

BREAKING: CNN fires disgraced anchor Chris Cuomo; Cuomo issues new statement



CNN has fired embattled anchor Chris Cuomo after initially placing him on an indefinite suspension.

The network made the announcement after "additional information" reportedly emerged during an investigation resulting from newly released documents that indicated how involved the ex-anchor reportedly was in attempting to protect his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) from scandals — including allegations of sexual harassment.

What are the details?

A spokesperson for CNN on Saturday evening said that Cuomo has been "terminated" by the network, "effective immediately."

"Chris Cuomo was suspended earlier this week pending further evaluation of new information that came to light about his involvement with his brother's defense," the statement read. "We retained a respected law firm to conduct the review, and have terminated him, effective immediately."

In a tweeted statement on his termination, Cuomo wrote, "This is not how I want my time at CNN to end but I have already told you why and how I helped my brother. So let me now say as disappointing as this is, I could not be more proud of the team at 'Cuomo Prime Time' and the work we did as CNN's #1 show in the most competitive time slot. I owe them all and will miss that group of special people who did really important work."

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— Christopher C. Cuomo (@Christopher C. Cuomo) 1638657445

On Tuesday, the network announced an "indefinite suspension" following newly released testimony from the New York State Attorney General's Office.

The documents showed that Cuomo appeared to have worked tirelessly alongside his brother's handlers in order to keep bad publicity at bay, including leaning on media sources who reported on the allegations against his brother.

"When Chris admitted to us that he had offered advice to his brother's staff, he broke our rules and we acknowledged that publicly," the network said in a statement on his suspension. "But we also appreciated the unique position he was in and understood his need to put family first and job second."

"However," the network continued in its statement, "these documents point to a greater level of involvement in his brother's efforts than we previously knew. As a result, we have suspended Chris indefinitely, pending further evaluation."

Cuomo in August insisted, "I never made calls to the press about my brother's situation.

On Wednesday, Cuomo said that he was embarrassed by the suspension.

"It hurts to even say it; it’s embarrassing, but I understand it, and I understand why some people feel the way they do about what I did. I’ve apologized in the past, and I mean it; [...] the last thing I ever wanted to do was compromise any of my colleagues and do anything but help," he insisted.